if you had an ill-will to puckle? What ailed you at manzy,
or--"

"I thought of manzy," replied Tommy, woefully, for he was
ashamed of himself, "but--but a manzy's a swarm. It would mean
that the folk in the kirk were buzzing thegither like bees,
instead of sitting still."

"Even if it does mean that," said Mr. Duthie, with impatience,
"what was the need of being so particular? Surely the art of
essay-writing consists in using the first word that comes and
hurrying on."

"That's how I did," said the proud McLauchlan [Tommy's
successful competitor]....

"I see," interposed Mr. Gloag, "that McLauchlan speaks of there
being a mask of people in the church. Mask is a fine Scotch
word."

"I thought of mask," whimpered Tommy, "but that would mean the
kirk was crammed, and I just meant it to be middling full."

"Flow would have done," suggested Mr. Lonimer.

"Flow's but a handful," said Tommy.

"Curran, then, you jackanapes!"

"Curran's no enough."

Mr. Lorrimer flung up his hands in despair.

"I wanted something between curran and mask," said Tommy,
doggedly, yet almost at the crying.

Mr. Ogilvy, who had been hiding his admiration with difficulty,
spread a net for him. "You said you wanted a word that meant
middling full. Well, why did you not say middling full--or fell
mask?"

"Yes, why not?" demanded the ministers, unconsciously caught in
the net.

"I wanted one word," replied Tommy, unconsciously avoiding it.

"You jewel!" muttered Mr. Ogilvy under his breath, but Mr.
Cathro would have banged the boy's head had not the ministers
interfered.

"It is so easy, too, to find the right word," said Mr. Gloag.

"It's no; it's difficult as to hit a squirrel," cried Tommy, and
again Mr. Ogilvy nodded approval.

* * * * *

And then an odd thing happened. As they were preparing to leave
the school [Cathro having previously run Tommy out by the neck],
the door opened a little and there appeared in the aperture the
face of Tommy, tear-stained but excited. "I ken the word now,"
he cried, "it came to me a' at once; it is hantle!"

Mr. Ogilvy ... said in an ecstasy to himself, "He _had_ to think
of it till he got it--and he got it. The laddie is a genius!"

QUESTIONS AND EXERCISES

1. What is the derivation